Resilient thread holder for weft-replenishing looms



Y J. F. TINSLEY 1,766,851 RESILIENT THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT REPLENISHING LOQMS June 24, 1930.

Filed Dec 14, 1928 w \N mw Q bins show a tendency to rotate on their Patented June 24, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE JOHN F. 'rINsLEY; or woncnsrnn, mAssacHUsnrrrs, AssIeN'oR 'ro cnOMr'roN & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, or WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS 7 RESILIENT THREAD HOLDER FOR WEFT-REPLENISHIING LOOMS Application filed Deeember 14, 1.92s.- Serial NO. 326,057.

This invention relates to improvements in thread holders for weft. replenishing mechanisms more particularly of the multicolor type and it is the general object of the invention to provide a thread holder normally in clamping position but movable tononclamping position to permit the taking-up of slack in the weft endsextending from the reserve bobbins.

In the usual multicolor weft replenishing mechanism the reserve bobbins are held in a plurality of vertical stacks along which they move toward transfer position. There is extending from each bobbin a weft end and the weft of a transferred bobbin must beheld taut on the first pick following transfer in order to effect threading, of the shuttle and a continuance of the weaving operation. The weft ends extending from the upper bobbins in the magazine are necessarily longer than the weft ends corresponding to the lower bobbins, and as-these upper bobbins descend their weft ends become slack. In some instances also the bob axes and when this rotation is in a direction to unwind the fillingthe weft ends are in-v creased in length. It is an important object of my present invention to provide a yieldable thread holder normally in clamping position to retain the weft ends .at the time of transferbutmovable to a position to permit the slack occurring in the weft ends to be taken up from time to time.

lVhen filling a magazine with. a fresh supply of bobbins it is necessary to secure the various weft endsto 'the'thread holder and to facilitate this operation it is a further object of my present invention to provide mechanical means for holding a thread holder in non-clamping position to receive the weft ends from the new supply of bobbins. r I find that in the practicaloperation of r the thread holder set forth herein it-is desirable to use a core or thread engaging rod for the spring or other resilient deviceto prevent the threads from extendingbeyond the axis of. the spring and it isa more specific object of my invention to provide such a rod which acts also to guide a hand hold for the spring.

With these and other objects in iew which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. A

In the accompanying drawings wherein a complete embodiment of my invention is set forth, 1

Fig; 1 is an end elevation of a weft replenishing mechanism showing my invention applied thereto in normal thread clamping position,

"Fig. 2 is a top plan view taken in the direction' of arrow 2, Fig. l, but showing the thread clamp in expanded position topermit either the securing of new weftends in fresh bobbins or the taking-up of slack in the weft ends of the old bobbins, and

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the supporting rod, hand hold and retaining latch for the latter.

My invention may be applied to the usual multicolor weft replenishing -magazine M which includes in its construction an outer plate 10 formed to definefront and back thread slots 11 and 12, respectively, through which extend the weft ends W from the reserve bobbins B. The magazine plate is shown without bobbin supports or cradles such as are ordinarily employed, inasmuch as these features do not enter particularly into the operation of my invention. vThe outer plate 10 is supported on 'a'plurality of tie rods 13 oneof which is extended as at 14: for a purpose to be described. The matter thus'far described, with the exception of the extension 14, forms no part of my present invention and may be substantially the same as is found in the usual multicolor Weft replenishing mechanism as set forth for instance in priorv Patent NO. 1,030,748. v a

- In. carrying my invention into efiect I provide a holder 20'-which is mounted on the extension 14 and held in angular and longitudinal adjustment with respect to said extension by means of a screw 21. Said holder is provided with a bore 22 which is disposed substantially perpendicular to and preferably below the extension 14. A rod 23 passes through the bore and is held in adjusted longitudinal position by a set screw 24.

A collar 25 is held adjustably to the rod 23 by a screw 26 and has an extension 27 as shown in Fig. 2 over which closely fits the right'hand end of a normally closed ten-. sion coil spring 28. By means of the collar and its attachment to the spring the rear end of the latter is held fixed 'with respect to. the rod 23 and therefore the magazine frame.

The forward or left hand end of the spring as viewed in the drawings fits tightly over an extension 29 formed on a handhold 30 which is slidably mounted on. the rod 23. The left hand end' of said hand hold isprovided with a groove 31 which lies between a flange 32 and the body of the hand hold. The purpose of saidgroove is to receive the hooked end 33 of a latch 34 pivotally mounted as at 35 on a small plate 36. The latter may be held to the rod 23 by means of a screw 37. An upwardly extending tail 38 is formed on the latch so. that that the operator may move the hook out ofthe groove when desired.

Each of the weft ends is provided by a weighted element G the particular form of which may be substantially as set forth in co-pending application Ser. No. 327,438. It is sufficient for my present purpose to state that any form of detachable weighted element may beemployed for the weft ends, there being oneweighted element for each weft end so that each of the latter is india vidually stressed.

In the operation of my invention the coil spring 28, because of its inherent resilience and closeness of its coils, will be substantially closed as shown in Fig. 1 to clamp between adjacent coils the several weft ends lV. Said spring supports the weights G and in this way removes the strain of su porting said weights from the weft en s, thus relieving tosome extent the tendency of the bobbins to rotate on theiraxes. By this construction also should one or another of the weights become accidentally detached the corresponding-weft end will still be held bythe spring to cause proper threading of the shuttle on a transferringpick.

' From timeto-time' as the weaver-or other attendant inspects the. looms in his section hewill slide the hand hold 30 toward the latch 34 and hold said spring expanded a suflicient length. of time to permit the weights to take up any slackness which has occurred in the weft ends since the previous expansion of. the spring. During this operation. it is of. course unnecessary tolhave thespring expanded for. any length of. time and. the latch. 34 will not. come intoplay.

When fresh bobbins are being applied. to

ineassi the magazine, however, the spring will be lengthened and the hook 32 caused to enter the groove 31, after which the attendant may release the hand hold 30, the latter being held by the latch to retain the spring in expanded position as suggested in Fig. 2. The. weaver may now apply one of the weights G to each of the weft ends of the new bobbins and place the weft ends in one or another of the spaces defined by adjacent coils of the spring. When all of the weft ends have. been weighted the hooked end of the latch may be raised by means of its tail, after which the spring will be restored to its normally contracted position to clamp all the weft ends. It is to be noted that the rod 23 which extends through the spring 28 has direct engagement with. the weft ends andthereforeprevents the accumulated weight of the several. elements G from defi e'ctir' gthe axis of the spring. Also, said rodv prevents entanglement of the threads with the spring coils and presents a relatively large surface over which. the weft. ends may slide to prevent weakening of the threads.

From the foregoing. it will be seen that have provided a very simple. weft holder for the weft ends of reserve bobbins, said holder being normally contracted but being readily expansible to permit the weighted elements to take up any slack which may exist in the. weft ends. It will further be seen that provision is made for holdingthe spring expanded. when new bobbins are being. applied to. the magazine. It will, further. be. understood; that the rod which ex,- tends through the spring supports the latter and. also affords. a guide for the hand hold. 30, and. alsoengages the weft. ends to prevent thelatter. from becoming objectionablyv entangled. in the several coils of the spring,- or abraded.

Having thus described, my invention it will be seen thatv changes and modifications may becmade therein by those skilled in the art. without departing. from the spirit and scope. of, the. invention. and I do not wish to be limited: to the details herein disclosed, but what I; claim is 1. In, a thread; holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend; weft ends, a horizontal coil spring. the coilsof which are normally closelyv adjacent each other to clamp the weft ends, means. by which the spring may be expanded. to separate the coils, and means acting on the weft ends to render the latter taut. when the, springs are separated.

2. In athread; holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend. weft ends, a horizontal normally closed coil spring between the coils of which the weft endsare normally clamped, andimeans to take tip-slack in the weftends whlen the spring is expanded to separate the CO1 s.

3. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a fixed guide, a coil spring surrounding the guide and having the coils thereof normally closely adjacent each other to clamp the weft ends, said weft ends engaging the guide, and means to take up slack in the weft ends when the spring is expanded to separate the coils thereof and free the weft ends.

4. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a fixed rod, a normally closed coil spring surrounding the rod and having the coils thereof closely adjacent each other to clamp the weft ends, and a manually operable device operatively connected to the spring and slidable along the rod by means of which the spring may be expanded to separate the coils, the rod being positioned to be in engagement with the weft ends.

5. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a fixed rod, a normally closed coil spring surrounding the rod and having the coils thereof closely adjacent each other to clamp the weft ends, a manually operable device connected to the spring and slidable along the rod to expand the spring to separate the coils, the rod being positioned to be in engagement with the weft ends, and means to engage the manually operable member and hold the same in fixed position with the spring expanded.

6. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a fixed rod, a normally closed coil spring surrounding the rod and having the coils thereof closely adjacent each other to clamp the weft ends, a manually operable device connected to the spring and slidable along the rod to expand the spring to separate the coils, the rod being positioned to be in engagement with the weft ends, and means to engage the manually operable member and hold the same in fixed position with the spring expanded, said means being supported by the rod.

7. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a fixed rod, a pair of collars supported by the rod, one being fixed with respect to the rod and the other being slidable on the rod, a normally closed coil spring interposed between the collars and operatively connected to each collar, the coils of the spring normally clamping the weft ends and said slidable collar being movable in a direction to expand the spring and separate the coils thereof.

8. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a tie rod, a holder mounted on the tie rod and held to the latter in longitudinal and angular adjustment with respect thereto, a supporting rod extending laterally with respect to the tie rod and held by the holder, a normally closed coil spring surrounding a portion of the holding rod, the coils thereof being normally closed to clamp the weft ends, and means by which the spring may be expanded to separate the coils thereof to free the weft ends.

9. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a tie rod, a holder mounted on the tie rod and held to the latter in longitudinal and angular adjustment with respect thereto, a supporting rod extending laterally with respect to the tie rod and held by the holder, a normally closed coil spring surrounding a portion of the holding rod, the coils thereof being normally closed to clamp the weft ends, and means associated with each weft end to render the same taut when the spring is expanded;

10. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally contracted coil spring the coils of which engage and clamp the weft ends, and means located within the spring to be in engagement with the weft ends and prevent the latter from becoming entangled with the coils of the sprlng.

11. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a normally contracted coil spring the coils of which clamp the weft ends, and means located within the spring to be in engagement with the weft ends and prevent the latter from becoming entangled with the coils of the spring, said spring being expansible along the means to separate the coils to free the weft ends, and means to tension each weft end when the coils are separated.

12. In a thread holder for weft replenishing looms having reserve bobbins from which extend weft ends, a rod, a spring surrounding the rod and supported by the latter, one end of the spring being fixed with respect to the rod, a hand hold for the other end of the spring by means of which the latter may be expanded, and a retaining device for said hand hold to hold the spring expanded, said hand hold being movable a sufiicient distance before engaging the holding device to expand the spring to free the weft ends.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JOHN F. TINSLEY. 

